Hood."

"Why, grandpapa! The wolf didn't eat little Red Riding Hood. The boy
came in time--don't you remember?"

"Perhaps you never read _my_ Red Riding Hood, Jenny," said the old
gentleman, laughing. "At any rate, the wolves lunched at my expense;
yet I hoped they wouldn't be polite enough to look round for their
host. But they did inquire for me--not very politely, I must say. They
seemed in bad humor--perhaps there hadn't been enough lunch to go
round."

"The greedy things! A whole haunch of venison!" cried Jenny.

"Ah, but I had provided no currant jelly with it, and of
course they were vexed. If you ever give a dinner-party to wolves,
don't forget the currant jelly, Jenny. How they yelled for
it--_Cur-r-r-rant-jell-yell-yell-elly-yell!_ That's the way they went.

"And they also said,
_Yow--yow--there's--yow--no--desser-r-rt--either--yow--yow!_ Perhaps
they wanted me to explain. At any rate, they put their heads into the
opening--how many at once I don't know, for I could not see down; and
then they screamed for me. It was an uncomfortably close scream,
chickens. My feet must have been nearer them than I thought, for one
fellow's nose touched my moccasin as he jumped."

"O grandpapa! If he had caught your foot!"

"But he didn't, Jenny, dear. He caught something worse. When he
tumbled back he must have fallen on the other fellows, for there was a
great snapping and snarling and yelping all at once.

"Meantime I tried to go up out of reach. It was easy enough; but with
every fresh hold I took with shoulders, elbows, hands, and feet, the
dead old wood crumbled and broke away, so that thick dust filled the
hollow tree.

"I was afraid I should be suffocated. But up I worked till at last I
got to the upper hole and stuck out my head for fresh air. There I
was, pretty comfortable for a little while, and I easily supported my
weight by bending my back, thrusting with my feet, and holding on the
edge of the hole by my hands.

"After getting breath I gave my attention to the wolves. They did not
catch sight of me for a few moments. Some stood looking much
interested at the lower opening, as terriers do at the hole where a
rat has disappeared.

"Dust still came from the hole to the open air. Some wolves sneezed;
others sat and squealed with annoyance, as Bruno does when you close
the door on him at dinner-time. They were disgusted at my concealment.
Of course you have a pretty good idea of what they said, Jenny.